PlanetSEED offers a number of high quality interactive science activities. Increase your understanding of seemingly complex physical science concepts using the interactives and laboratory activity resources found here. Activities require minimal to no equipment and are thought provoking. Making this site even more advantageous are its links to further information that is age appropriate and highly understandable for curious minds. Topics include physical science concepts such as density, buoyancy, magnetism, the carbon cycle, gases, and more.

In the Classroom

Employ individual activities from PlanetSEED's Laboratory page in classroom activities to reinforce physical science concepts such as density, buoyancy, magnetism, the carbon cycle, gases, and more! Have students use the buoyancy interactive as an alternative to a lab in class to save time and money. Ask students to figure out which material would make the amusement park floating ride, both the solution media and the floating object. Challenge them to think beyond what they have already experienced in everyday life. Have them create a chart of solutions and solids in their notebook or even in a spreadsheet. Once they have experimented with the interactive, have them measure the actual density of fluids and solids in real life or research densities on the Internet for actual values. Extend the activity into a cost/benefit analysis of building and operating a ride out of the materials chosen.

Are you flustered by the details of the Sun and Earth relationship in Space? Do you want to understand and explain it better? Here is Solar Stormwatch's Sun, Earth & Space interactive diagram to the rescue. This nifty diagram offers click-able informational boxes that appear on rollover to offer detailed text information about each component in the Sun and Earth System. Zoom in on both the Earth and the Sun. The detailed information is terrific (though not iOS friendly, since it uses Flash).

In the Classroom

If you are teaching about space, and you need a complete review tool for the Sun and Earth system, this is a powerful interactive to share with your students. Project it on your interactive whiteboard (if you can do rollovers), or share the link with all of your students so they can interact with it on laptops. You could also create a list of questions to accompany this diagram and have students complete them as an introductory activity to the Sun and Earth parts of the Solar System.

This area of the VideoJug video sharing site offers many resources sorted by school subject. Choose from math, poetry, cool experiments or other educational topics. Search for items using the search bar or sort videos by most viewed, newest, or hot now categories. Click on the thumbnail link to view the full video and view text below the video link. Many videos include text of the content below the video window so you can recap important steps or ideas. Register using your email and a password to save favorite videos. There is a short advertisement at the beginning of each video. Though the overall site is not in Flash, the videos are. Note that this education area is a part of a wider Videojug sharing site that includes topics not appropriate for schools ("Love and Dating," etc.). Control access if using the site with young people. Find links to specific video pages by clicking Embed at top left of the video and copying the link or the embed code.This site includes advertising.

In the Classroom

Search the site for videos to use on your interactive whiteboard (or projector) with students. Share direct links to specific videos on your classroom website or blog for students to view at home. Think about using Grokit/Answers reviewed here, to put questions with the videos viewed at home. Challenge cooperative learning groups to create videos on any topic using the videos as examples. Share the videos created on a site such as TeacherTube reviewed here.

Watch a live feed of Siku, the Danish polar bear at Scandinavian Wildlife Park, Denmark. Find other resources and videos by clicking on Take Action at the top and bottom of the page. That link goes to Polar Bear International, and here you will find various lesson plans and a clip for the IMax movie To the Arctic.This site includes advertising.

In the Classroom

Use this site when discussing climate change or habitat destruction. View the live feeds and note the characteristics that polar bears have and research the difference between them and every other type of bear. Discuss these similarities and differences when discussing animals structures, adaptations, classification or characteristics of living things. Write stories about a polar bear's life, create a campaign to save endangered species, and recognize other threatened species near where you live. Be sure to investigate the lesson plans by clicking on the Take Action buttons. Most of the lesson plans aim to inform and to prevent destruction of the polar bear's habitat in the Arctic. In primary grades, have the class keep a basic observation journal at a polar bear center where they can watch the webcam and record what they see. Consider sharing several different animal cams for students to gain practice at observation.

This cool, teacher-made tool shows Google Earth in two side by side windows for easy comparison and contrast --without loading any software. Drop downs on each window turn layers on and off. Click Choose an Earth to move between Physical Geography, Human Geography, Historical maps, and the CIA Factbook. Explore various kinds of geographic and demographic data within this menu. You can even find earth science topics such as plate tectonics. Use Fetch An Earth to enter a KML or URL to load other Google Earth files. Not familiar with Google Earth? Learn more in our review. This handy tool offers use of Google Earth's basic tools and layers without installing Google Earth, a very handy advantage if you are not able to load software on your computer.

In the Classroom

Use side by side Google Earth to teach geography or simply give location context to class readings or current events, especially on an interactive whiteboard or projector. Keep the earth's "big picture" open on one side as you zoom in to investigate on the other. Or arrange side by side comparisons. Example: compare the peaks scaled by Lewis and Clark or volcanoes that rise in the Aleutians. Compare various locations for global warming, compare of volcano activity, or a history of immigration. Compare historic maps from different time periods to show how countries and boundaries change. Turn layers on and off from Choose an Earth or onscreen options to look at population centers and transportation systems. Teach the concept of scale/proportion using a visual experience on an interactive whiteboard with the scale and measurement tools. Use one window to show human geography and the other window to show items from the CIA Factbook for comparison. Have students hypothesize connections between geographic features and statistics about human development.

Recycle Bank offers current information to help live "greener." Their goal is to realize a world without waste, one person or community at a time. Recycling information is easy to understand and engaging. Register to become a member and earn points by taking quizzes on environmentally friendly topics, by reading articles and learning more about recycling, and by recycling (if your center or borough participates in the Recycle Bank program). Earned points lead to rewards of grocery or entertainment coupons and some gift cards. No registration is required to read resources posted on the website.This site includes advertising.

In the Classroom

With the Common Core State Standards push for nonfiction reading, this site is a natural for any time of the year. Recycle Bank will appeal to students who are environmentally conscious, but its intrinsic value is in teaching all students to think about how they can recycle in their everyday life. The advertising comes along with the prizes, so be sure to discuss where to click (or not). If your students have access to email, have them register with the website and start a class competition to see how many points students can earn individually or as a class. Conclude the competition by having students discuss (no matter who won the competition) how acting in greener ways allows everyone to win. There will be future "Green Schools" program competitions. This is a yearly competition where school groups design a green plan for their school that wins up to $2500.00. Posted on the website are the accepted projects where members from all over the country can award points to your school. For every 250 points donated to your school initiative, you earn $1.00. Promote Recycle Bank to get as many people involved as possible. Ask them to donate their points to your school. Use this as an opportunity to teach students about grassroots movements and the difference that one bright idea and a few motivated people can make in the world. Why not plan an Earth Day project using this site?

Around the world in one website? See the world using photo tours in Google maps thanks to this blog post explaining how. Enter 3D photo scenes to immerse you in nearly 15,000 popular sites and cultures from around the world. Find blog tools and useful links to make your visit more interesting. This site works best in FireFox or Chrome, and you will need to download Google Maps' web GL.This site includes advertising.

In the Classroom

Use photo tours in Google to expand your classroom into the world. The easy tutorial flies you off immediately into the world without budget, permission slips, or travel. Social studies and history come alive in the actual settings. Examine the real look at world cultures. Bring into a world language class for a field trip. In language arts, explore settings from around the world and see how they influence the story. Look at folktales from around the world with their settings. Current events come alive and meaningful through your visit. In language arts classes or math classes, plan an imaginary trip to a different place. Google photo tours make it concrete and allow you to experience the world. Transport your students to another place, and see if they can play Where in the World. In art classes, study architecture or nature to influence art pieces. Science classes can explore landscapes, earth surfaces, natural resources, mapping skills, and habitats. Now your classroom has no walls.

Explore an impressive set of science and engineering animations to help explain difficult concepts. View animations and posters. Understand what the visual is about by reading the background information. Animations and posters cannot be used off the site without purchasing, but this is an excellent resource for viewing and sharing in its online version. Topics include different types of engines, how an eye works and vision problems, convection, waves, and more. There are also several animations about geometric solids.This site includes advertising.

In the Classroom

Use the simulations to help explain topics and concepts in class. Language arts teachers can use this site as a source for nonfiction reading comprehension. Science and language arts teachers can use the site as a learning center for students who need enrichment. Find great animations to help visualize various topics from different viruses to diesel engines, the Doppler Effect, to the garden sundial, and the vertical sundial to name just a few. Check the readability of the animations you want students to use on their own by using the The Readability Test Tool reviewed here.

What2Learn is an excellent source of classroom games or practice to learn about many different subject areas. It provides ways to engage and enhance literacy. The fastest approach to this site is to click on the game tab and search for the concept you are looking to apply. Searching for games shows advertisements first, then your game search results. This site will allow you to join and create your own games, but there is a cost to this.This site includes advertising.

In the Classroom

Find an activity that reinforces the concepts in your curriculum. Show your students how simple it is to play by using your interactive whiteboard for demonstration. Have students try out the site on your interactive whiteboard. Post a link to the specific games you want students to play on your classroom computers, wiki or class website. If students play the games in your classroom, have headphones ready.

SEED's collection of science articles are clear, age-appropriate, and thought-provoking for minds that may not want to read about science. Young readers can connect science to their own world of medicine and climate change as most of them have had a cold or experienced a hot day. The History of Medicine and Global Climate Change collections are fantastic. Each article also reveals links to further readings in related concepts. This is excellent for increasing literacy in science (think Common Core) or improving a young reader's ability to process and comprehend informational, nonfiction text.

In the Classroom

Use articles as alternatives to textbook reading assignments. As informational text, this reading is more exciting and easier than the average printed textbook for students. You may want to have students read and reflect in their science journals or on their science blog. You might consider using Throwww, reviewed here, which requires no sign up. They could write a short response as an entrance or exit "ticket," depending upon when you choose to assign the reading. History and world cultures teachers will also find useful articles about people and places that students could use to connect with locations they are studying and with current events.

A picture is worth a thousand words; a map with information is worth many thousands more. The World Atlas map powered by Esri is unique with its many layers of information. Layers include temperature data, habitats, volcano locations, natural resources, and more. The map uses street view and high detail aerial maps. Zoom into any aspect of the Earth, regardless of political boundaries (thanks to NASA, the World Bank, and Spotzi data). Browse from a variety of themes available including animals, temperatures, and tectonic plates. Use the search bar to zoom in to a specific area. Several tools are available along the top including a measuring tool.

In the Classroom

Use Spotzi to make information more relevant and meaningful when paired with an actual map. Find trends easily. Have students choose a topic and investigate maps to identify and develop general statements from the data. Ask students to generate questions to further research the topic. This tool is invaluable for environmental, ecology, health, economics, and other research topics. Use this map to add new dimensions of information about places in the news. Share on a projector or interactive whiteboard to learn more about countries participating in the Olympics. Use data to compare countries and discuss possible cause/effects for poverty, health challenges, and more.

GeoCube is a delightful, online, interactive resource about world geography. Based on the principle of the Rubik Cube, GeoCube has six sides, each with a topic and nine sub-topics. Click on each sub-topic to find a gallery of videos and images with accompanying text explaining different concepts in geography. The topics explored are living together, earth from all angles, shrinking planet, exploring our world, fascinating earth, and useful geographies. Be sure to watch the How to Use intro video (uses Quick Time) to see how your mouse navigates GeoCube. Clicking on downloads will allow you to view and print PDFs of each topic as well as a colorful GeoCube template with photos to fold and assemble. GeoCube is viewable in several languages: English, Spanish, German, and Italian.

In the Classroom

Explore one of the subtopics on GeoCube with your class on the interactive whiteboard. Discover different aspects of the world through the subtopics. Use the text as a basis to find another text, either narrative or expository, and compare and contrast the knowledge. You might want to allow students to investigate the different topics on their own at a learning station. Language arts, social studies, and science teachers can use the information found on GeoCube to build background knowledge for students before studying a unit. Introduce a unit on the environment by reading and viewing the videos for waste and pollution, water resources, energy resources, deforestation, species extinction, and climate change. Physical science teachers can use GeoCube as a unique way to introduce volcanoes, tsunamis, hurricanes, and conflicts in the earth's systems. These are just a few of the 54 subtopics your will find on GeoCube. ESL/ELL and learning support will all enjoy and benefit from viewing and reading GeoCube.

Use the GeoCube idea for students to present information they research on any science or social studies topic. Adapt it slightly, having students create foldable visual aids using FoldPlay, reviewed here, or interactive video cubes using YouCube, reviewed here. YouCube needs to access YouTube, so may not be accessible at school.

This site offers a highly visual way to draw people of any age into science and a fascination with materials, living things, and forces that make up our world. The collections are the result of an annual competition at Princeton University and were produced as a result of actual scientific research. Click on each image to view a description of the background of the image. Click on other years at the bottom of the screen. These images are simply stunning!

In the Classroom

Share these images as inspiration to begin a related curriculum unit or to draw students into the powerful world of scientific discovery. Explore and discuss "What is science?" by viewing these images. Consider taking up close pictures of what your students see when they are looking at their labs in your science class. Include the arts in your science class by asking your arts-oriented students to talk about why the images are artistically appealing as an avenue into the world of science. Challenge students to watch for similar art/science photos-- or perhaps take their own -- and add them to a class art or science wiki page. Invite your art teacher (if you have one) to share these photos in art class, as well.

Scale of the Universe 2 zooms into the smallest parts of atoms and out to the largest items in the solar system. Use your mouse or click to view objects that vary incredibly in size. Use this tool to get a sense of the size of the universe through the relationship between familiar and unfamiliar objects. Click on the object, and an information box pops up. Click on the musical note in the upper right corner to silence the music. Spend many hours perusing the variety of information on this site.

In the Classroom

Use your projector or interactive whiteboard and spend time moving through the objects and looking at the relationships between the sizes. Be sure to instruct students on how to read powers of 10 for understanding of the sizes. This would also be a way to help students visualize the concept of scientific notation! Use the items as part of a "size scavenger hunt." Consider creating visual displays of information similar to this to show relationships between objects. Use a zooming tool such as Prezi or any other multimedia tool.

This site shows the scale of items from the atom to the universe by using an interactive Infographic. Choose from nine items to begin comparison. Use the blue dot to zoom in and out by sliding it up and down. The dial gives the difference in size. Be sure to view the Infographic full screen.

In the Classroom

Provide time for student groups to explore this tool, record observations, discuss information they know, and generate questions. Research information to answer questions. Use this site before discussing the metric system or conversions between various units. It can be used to discuss the use of significant figures and errors in measurements and numbers. Use it as a springboard to measuring and comparing various items that students are familiar with. Embed this on to your class site for easy access by students.

Cool It! Provides tons of realistic tips for conserving resources, recycling, and going green. Informational, logical articles featured are great for anyone interested in reducing their impact on the environment. This is a valuable resource for teachers, home owners, and gardeners alike! Put these practical ideas into motion and see the saving stack up!This site includes advertising.

In the Classroom

If you are a science teacher, try using these topics as lesson content for Earth Day activities. Start by asking students, "What can you do to help the environment?" Lead them to this site and encourage them to hunt for at least three different things that they could each do. Involve parents by sharing this project and your goal of having kids change some of their habits to help the environment. Include the idea that these efforts can and will save parents money, and you have the start to a winning, real life learning activity.

Create a live Internet radio show -- free -- with Spreaker! This super easy online tool creates podcasts instantly for you to share with your own URL, on Facebook, Google +, Soundcloud, Twitter, or add to the Spreaker website. Follow others, or invite others to follow your podcasts. With a click of a button you are creating a live podcast. To create a podcast you do not need Flash. However, there are several tutorials, and these tutorials require flash. There is a free version and a more deluxe premium version. This review is for the free version.This site includes advertising.

In the Classroom

Enjoy a live radio show from your classroom! Publish written pieces of writing, science reports, social studies reports, and any other reports you would like to share. Create a New Book or Book Review podcast for the media center. Link to your podcast URL on your class website. Publish directions to projects, explanations for difficult concepts, or even a radio show of you reading your favorite books for your students. Have upper elementary students take turns reading aloud for a podcast aimed at little reading buddies in kindergarten. Allow students to podcast to "pen pals" in faraway places. Record your school choir, orchestra group, poetry club, or drama club doing their best work or dramatic readings of Shakespeare soliloquies. Take your school newspaper to a new level with recorded radio articles. Be sure to include interviews with students, teachers, principals, parents, authors, artists, and almost anyone. In younger grades, use to save an audio portfolio of reading fluency, expression, or to aid with running records or even include writing. Be sure do this regularly throughout the year to analyze growth. Have fun at Halloween with your Halloween station filled with favorite spooky stories! Welcome your students to a new school year by sending them your message. Create messages for classmates who move away. Bring your foreign language classes an extra resource of your pronunciations whenever they need more practice. ESL/ELL, special education classes can often benefit from the extra explanations, practice, and elaborated instructions given at their own pace. The possibilities are endless! The site itself is a "web 2.0," social networking style site, so some schools may have it blocked. Ask about unblocking just YOUR teacher account so you can have students access it while at school and under your supervision.

This very attractive site allows readers to select and compile the news they want to read. Readers can choose from U.S. or world news as well as from many news categories such as politics, business, entertainment, health, technology, travel, and science. Each general category has up to 12 other choices of a more specific nature. After making those choices, a slideshow style player appears where readers can view a very brief summary of a news article to see if they would like to read the entire text. News videos and blogs are also available with just a click of your mouse. A "newscollector" allows readers to select and save featured stories for later reading.

In the Classroom

Use this tool for you and your students to find articles related to science, social studies, and cultural topics you are studying. Have students select, read, and compare two articles on the same subject. Have small groups of students take turns presenting weekly news. Use articles as practice for finding main idea and other comprehension skills. Create a selection of stories as writing prompts for persuasive writing pieces. Collect news sources related to an upcoming election to follow in a civics/government class. Have students create an online presentation on their selected news topics from categories you've assigned for your classroom news. Have students make a multimedia presentation using one of the many TeachersFirst Edge tools reviewed here.

Discover how to use student-created infographics as scaffold or assessment for learning in any middle or high school subject. Many teachers are not "visual" people and struggle to implement infographics because they do not know how to help students. Whether you are a visual person or a "data" person, these pages will help your class get started. See the story of one teacher's journey into using infographics and learn from her experience. Find downloadable files to help: a PowerPoint you can use with students, and a customizable rubric. Don't miss the extensive Resources and Tools page for examples, background articles, and more. These pages grew out of a presentation at ISTE 2012.

In the Classroom

Read through this professional tutorial if you have even considered trying infographics with your students. You will find just the encouragement you need. Mark this one in your Favorites and share the many examples with your students, including student-created examples from a ninth grade class, as you launch your own infographics projects. Let your students "show what they know" in a new way.

The Dayton Regional STEM Center offers lessons, units, and curriculum materials in STEM subjects for grades K-12. Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math resources are abundant at this center for hands-on STEM! Primarily it is a curriculum resource for teaching. Search by grade level, subject, or industry. There are captivating hook videos about power and propulsion, sensors, manufacturing, humans and medicine, and air vehicles. Lesson ideas are complete and well thought out. Some have downloadable activities, some are video clips, some are tangible hands on activities, but all are thought provoking. If your district blocks YouTube, then the video clips may not be viewable. You could always view the videos at home and bring them to class "on a stick" to share. Use a tool such as KeepVid reviewed here to download the videos from YouTube.

In the Classroom

Bookmark and save this site as a resource for STEM lessons in your classroom. Use this site as a starting point for individual or group projects or differentiating lessons in your classroom. Search this site for some new ideas to implement in your classroom. Share the Student tab on your class website for students to explore several "kid friendly" topic such as Fish-y Gardening, Pirate Race, Slime Time, Engineer Girl, Build a Bot, and more. Students who complete one of the "kid friendly" projects at home could develop a presentation using a tool like Zoho Show (similar to PowerPoint, but easier and free) - reviewed here), or a multimedia presentation to share with the class. For tools and ideas about creating multimedia presentations see one of many TeachersFirst Edge tools reviewed here.